


Off the Tapes

by SilverKnightKaden



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27171379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKnightKaden/pseuds/SilverKnightKaden
Summary: Begins during a non-specific time where Sasha is there and they aren't dealing with Jane, but do encounter occasional problems. I do my best to keep the reader gender-neutral, so tell me if I make any mistakes and I'll fix them as soon as I can!Reader works in Research, but has become something of an errand runner, since most of the other Researchers find Tim a bit too loud and Martin a bit too mousy. They don't mind, though, not if it means they get a chance to see the handsome Head Archivist with slightly greying hair every now and then.
Relationships: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Reader, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Run With The Hunted - Skyhill

**Author's Note:**

> If it wasnt obvious, im american ✋😔 so itll all be american spellings, and the reader is going to be american as well. I also know nothing abt london, so if anything seems wrong in the story, i am BEGGING yall to help me
> 
> Chapter titles will usually be songs i listened to while writing the chapter, and it might be a nice experience to listen to them while reading!
> 
> Sorry for how short it is, but this is just gonna be a small intro, a prologue. Im gonna try and make the other chapters longer, but i cant make any promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasnt obvious, im american ✋😔 so itll all be american spellings, and the reader is going to be american as well. I also know nothing abt london, so if anything seems wrong in the story, i am BEGGING yall to help me
> 
> Chapter titles will usually be songs i listened to while writing the chapter, and it might be a nice experience to listen to them while reading!
> 
> Im awful at slow burns, so this is probs gonna end up being a ficlet or not having a ton of chapters
> 
> This song has nothing to do with the chapter, its just what i happened to be listening to at the time
> 
> In this chapter, the reader gives her statement 😳😳

I leaned against Jon as he half carried me into the Archive, Martin trailing behind us with the carrier in which my dog scaredly shivered. He placed in next to where I sat on the couch, across from the tape recorder I'd never seen. I never _wanted_ to see it. My fingers slowly opened the carrier, allowing my small dog to crawl out and hop into my lap. He shiver and whined, breaking my heart into a million pieces as Jon took a seat next to the tape recorder. After giving me a sweet smile, Martin exited the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Now, it was just Jon, my dog, the tape recorder, and me. A pang of fear, almost from nowhere, ran through my body. Jon spoke softly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" His eyes were kind and his voice was low, a tone he only ever took when deeply concerned about something. Or someone.

Against my own will, I nodded. Then I shook my head. "No," I admitted, smiling without any joy behind it. "I don't _want_ to...but I have to."

Jon nodded, getting set up for my statement as I scratched behind my dog's ears. The puppy, whose name was Socks, buried his nose into my shirt. Yes, I know, a super original name for a dog with differently colored paws. I wasn't the one who chose it, though. My friend, the one who'd gifted me the puppy, had already named him.

In my half daze, Jon had already spoken the preamble for the statement. He was now looking at me as he spoke. "...giving her statement regarding..."

I swallowed back the lump in my throat, my cheek and ankle suddenly aching. "An encounter with a very weird stranger...and a Leitner."

Even Jon shivered at the words, as he had not yet been told the full story. His eyes were a little wide, and he seemed almost as shaken as I was. "St-statement recorded direct from subject...statement begins."

I felt my stomach drop, as if I had just reached the peak of a rollercoaster. A horrible, terrifying rollercoaster that I didn't ask to get on.

"I...I have a lot of hobbies," I began, starting at the only place that would make everything make sense. "Obviously, I have a certain love for the paranormal, or else I wouldn't be working here. I love art, and I love video games. I also love...to read."

"Lately, there's been so much work from my job and my classes, I've barely had time to do anything at home other than eat and sleep. I leave for work in the mornings, then school in the afternoons, and suddenly, my whole day is gone. That's why I was so excited to hear that this week was some holiday for the university. I-I haven't lived here long enough to know, and I don't remember what they said. Maybe something about the founder's birthday week or whatever. Either way, we were getting this entire week off of school. I really needed that. As much as I love art, I've never been one to enjoy sitting down and being told what to do with it."

"When I heard about the holiday, I got really excited. Anyone would, I suppose. At least, anyone who doesn't love going to school or has other things they want to do. I decided that I would use this break as an excuse to pick up a few new books. I used to go through then like nothing - I could tackle a full-length novel in hours, and an entire series in days. I've already read my books at home hundreds of times, so I thought I'd indulge a little and buy a couple new ones to get me through my free time over the break."

Socks stirred in my lap, asleep yet still fearful and shivering. I paused, only for a moment, to gently rub my hand across his stomach. He relaxed into the touch, and I continued.

"With a clear goal in mind, I headed toward one of those charity bookstores. The campus bookstore was basically just textbooks and assigned readings, and I really wasn't in the mood for reading 'Animal Farm' for the tenth time." I managed a small smile at this, but winced when it caused the cut on my cheek to burst into a painful flame. Heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment flooded my face, and I tried not to focus on Jon's growing concern.

"The bookstore was fine," I went on, hoping that talking would take my mind from the pain. "It was like any other bookstore - old and used books covering each and every shelf, with the occasional aisle or display of other things, things that were donated that weren't books. I was walking down one of the fantasy aisles, glancing at the books and checking the back cover summary for ones that caught my eye. I picked up two books, but I can't remember what they were anymore...because I dropped them when I saw what was in the middle of one of the shelves."

I swallowed another lump in my throat. I wanted to be anywhere else. I didn't want to do this anymore. I didn't want to relive even a second of that experience. Before Jon could ask if I was alright, I took a shaky breath and went on.

"It was leather-bound, seemed to be handmade by someone who had a basic understanding of how to bind books, but wasn't quite good at it yet. There was no title, but I knew. The air was heavy around that book, and every time I reached for it, my hand would pull itself back before I could touch it. I had encountered a Leitner tome."

"I was going to get my phone a-and call someone, but before I could, someone came up behind me and asked me to hand them the book." It was suddenly becoming more difficult to breathe. My chest felt heavy, and I could feel the prickle of tears beginning to form in my eyes. "I didn't look at them, but I could tell something was off about them. Like the book, the air changed around them. Suddenly, evern though the shop had their aircon on, it was blazingly hot. It felt as though I were in a furnace."

"They put a hand on my arm, and I was glad I had a long-sleeved shirt. Even so, I could feel a scorching heat from their hand, and I pulled myself from them. They asked me again. 'Could you please hand me that book?' It didn't even occur to me to just walk away, but I think a part of me knew that they wouldn't let me. They would force me to stay there until I gave them that damned book."

"So, I did the best thing that came to mind. I pulled my sleeve down to cover my hand, then picked up the book and handed it to them. Even with my sleeve, I still felt sick holding that thing. It felt as if I was holding something disgusting and evil, which..I suppose is basically what I was doing."

"The person...or whatever they were, they got so pissed. Still, they just grabbed the book and stomped off. They didn't pay, and none of the workers seemed to care. They simply walked out with the Leitner, and I wish I could say that was the end of it." I shook my head, some of the tears beginning to fall. I cleared my throat, hoping my fear wouldn't be too obvious on the recording. Who was I trying to fool? I sounded miserable and terrified. And I was.

"I-I went straight back to my apartment, no books, no phone calls, no buses. I just walked the couple of blocks to my house, hoping I'd be able to clear my head along the way. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was just some creepy old book and some creepy old person obsessed with homemade, leather-bound books. It was a ridiculous lie, but it made me feel a little bit better. That...all went away once I made it home."

I took a couple shaky breaths, trying desperately not to get a look at Jon's face. I didn't want his pity, and I also didn't want to make him worry over me. I couldn't stand to see that upset look on his face.

"I guess...the first thing I noticed was that my door was open and my lights were on. I'm a little clumsy and forgetful, sure, but I've neber forgotten to shut and lock my door when I left. Of course, the first thing I thought was that someone was in there trying to rob me. I was scared. I don't have much there, but I was more scared they'd hurt my dog. I guess I was right to worry about that. I didn't think to call the police or anyone from the Institute. All I could think about was this poor puppy who'd never done anything wrong...and I ran up there without thinking of anything else."

"It was that same person...or thing from the bookstore. They were standing at my bookshelf, tossing and burning books as they rifled through it. There were no matches or lighters, just their hands setting every other book ablaze. Before I could wonder why my apartment hadn't caught fire, I spotted him. It was my dog, lying down on the other side of the room, whining and breathing heavy. I-I think the stranger must've kicked him across the room or something, a-and I got so angry I didn't think anymore. I charged them from across the room."

"I don't know why they had a knife, since it was clear that their bare hands were weapon enough. Still, they had head me running and grabbed it from their pocket, slashing at me. They got my face, which is where this came from." I motioned to the cut across my cheek, which still burned a little. I wondered, briefly, if it would leave a jagged, gruesome scar on my face. "Finally, I got some sense at tried to call the police, but the stranger ran out the door before I could even open my phone. I followed them, dashing down the stairs and...and completely forgetting that the bottom step is a bit of a bigger drop than the rest. My foot missed the step, and I fell forward. My ankle turned at a horrid angle that made me cry in pain. One of my neighbors, or someone who was there, must've finally noticed something was up, because they called the police. They said I had chased someone out of my apartment and might be injured."

"I had to crawl back up the steps to get into my apartment. Dozens of my books scattered the floor, now dirty or even burned to ashes, but I didn't care. I had to check on my dog. Everything would be alright as long as he was okay. Everything would be alright i-"

The moment came. I broke into tears, jarring the dog out of his sleep. He whimpered in my grasp, taking it upon himself to gently gnaw at my hand in a playful manner, trying to get me to play with him. Jon stood from his seat, crossing the room in three swift strides, and came to sit next to me on the couch. Gently, he placed a hand on my back, allowing me to lean my head on his shoulder and just cry.

When the embarrassingly long fit passed, I didn't sit up. I sniffed once or twice, but I couldn't bring myself to leave Jon's hold. "The police took my dog to drop him off at a vet and an ambulance took me to the hospital. As soon as I woke up from whatever they did, they told me I'd been crying the whole time I was out and kept talking about my dog. They told me he was safe, a couple of bruises and a bump on his head, but he'd be alright with time. They told me I should stay in the hospital for a while, but I couldn't. That's when I called you, and you came to get me and my dog to bring us here."

The finality in my voice let both of us know that my statement was over. "Statement ends." Jon's voice held that same air, and I was glad that it was over. He continued to gently hold me as he spoke. "Since I've only just heard, I haven't been able to look into it yet. It would help if there had been a title on the book, but I supposed checking that bookshop's inventory for the past few days might turn something up. Maybe they had security cameras, did you see any?"

I shrugged, sniffing and slowly sitting up, feeling a small ache in my spine. "I wasn't looking for them, so I couldn't tell you. I feel like, if there were, someone would've mentioned the person who leaving the store without paying."

Jon nodded, seemingly fine with ending the recording on that note. He stood up, crossing the room and turning off the tape recorder after a few short closing lines. Suddenly, all at once, I felt a little bit of relief. The statement was over. I didn't have to think about it anymore.

The greying Archivist took a seat next to me again, and I immediately placed my head against his chest once more. He didn't seem to mind, wrapping an arm around my middle and resting his chin on the top of my head. He rubbed my back in a soothing manner, even as Socks began to bite at the fingers on his free hand.

"I can speak with Elias about you moving," he informed me. "There's rooms here in the Archive, but you don't have as much access to them. Are you planning on permanently moving?"

I nodded, shifting so that my leg were turned toward him and I could be that little bit closer. He was so warm and comforting, something I never expected from the know-it-all Head Archivist. "Yes. I don't ever want to go back. I guess I'll have to go to get my things, but...I can't live there anymore."

"I don't believe there'd be anywhere for you to store your things here," he informed me. "I also don't think moving you to a new apartment alone would be a good idea."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"Do you have any friends who'd let you stay with them? Anyone with a spare room?"

My list of friends wasn't very long, so I was quick to shake my head. "No, I think everyone just has one bedroom."

He chewed his lip in thought, before coming to a small realization. Jon gave me a kind smile as he suggested, "I have a spare room I've been using as an office. I can move my things and bring the mattress out from the closet."

My face went hot, hotter than I'd ever felt it. Everything else was forgotten in the sudden rush I felt. An offer to live with Jonathan Sims?! "N-No, I couldn't impose on you or anything, and I don't want you to have to move your things o-or-"

"I promise, it's fine," Jon cut me off, sounding half as embarrassed or nervous as I was. "I wouldn't offer it to you if it was too much trouble...actually I probably would. Even so, it's _not_ any trouble. Like I said, I can move my things and I already have a mattress."

"Then I guess...if Elias says it's fine, then it's okay with me."

Jon nodded, and that was the beginning of my time living with him, which ended up being much longer than I'd thought.

The spare room was big enough to hold all my things - whatever books I had left, all of my games, art supplies, clothes, and other personal things. I had even been able to bring my television. It wasn't anything special, but it was very clear and very expensive, so I was happy it wasn't damaged. As Jon said, he had been able to move a small desk, a computer, and a few stacks of papers, making room for a mattress and all of my things.

"That's everything?" he asked as I sat on the mattress. Without a bed frame, I was eye level with his knees.

"Yes, looks to be," I told him, smiling at where my dog had curled up in his little carrier and was clearly trying to sleep. "The apartment was sweeped clean of everything, so unless we lost something on the way, it's all here."

Jon sat next to me on the mattress. Almost by habit, I once again leaned on his side, feeling his arm reach around my waist to hold me to him. "I suppose this is going to be for a while, so we can look into getting you a bedframe soon so your back won't ache or anything."

I shook my head. "I'll be just fine. I once went to a summer camp where all we had were plastic tents and thin sheets, so I can handle a plain mattress."

He chuckled at my little story, and something about that moment felt so...right. I wondered if he felt it too, because he had suddenly gone wide-eyed and was staring at me. It made my face go hot again, watching his eyes flicker over every inch of it. They landed on the cut across my cheek, and his expression went soft as he placed his hand gently next to it, lightly rubbing his thumb across the uninjured part of my cheek. When I leaned into the touch, his eyes snapped up to mine, and there was a moment where I don't think either of us breathed.

There was no way that he was getting closer, yet it looked like he was. It seemed as though he were slowly leaning in, and his eyes were closing. I had closed my own after noticing, heart pounding and blood boiling in anticipation.

A phone rang in a other room, jolting us both out of our trance. Suddenly embarrassed, perhaps more than we should've been, the two of us began to awkwardly laugh and avoid the other's gaze. It was another few moments before he realized tbat the ringing phone was his. Muttering a small apology, he pulled himself to his feet and left for his own bedroom, lightly closing the door to take the call.

As much as I wanted to explore the apartment more, I was so tired. It had been a long day, and I'd had to really haggke my old landlord into giving me a portion of the rent I'd paid, since I was leaving two days into the payment. He ended up giving me just over half my rent back, and I took that small victory. With all the strength I had left, I pulled myself across the mattress to lay my head on a pillow and pull my comforter over my shoulders. Even with the lights on and the sound of Jon speaking one room over, I closed my eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.


	4. I am ashamed

Guys.....qwq

Im so sorry i didnt start updating this story like i meant to. After the first things i put here, i realized that i had already messed up creating the story i had envisioned. Even with the little bit i have posted to this story, ive already strayed from my own little map of what i wanted to say 😔

So, to make up for it, i started reworking the series! Hopefully, the new story ive posted will be updated more often, as this semester is slowly coming to an end. University is so much harder than i ever thought, but i want to use this story to try and distance myself from the stress and hard work!

I am very much a procrastinating bitch, tho, so updates are going to be very.....unexpected. Sometimes, i might post 5 chapters in a day. Sometimes, it might take me months to get a single chapter out. I just hope you guys will trust me when i say that i want this story to be amazing! I want to share my ideas with you guys, and i really hope you like them

The new story is called Off the Record and follows the same theme - female American art student, songs for chapter titles, etc - and will still have the playlist i promised!

Link - https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634757

Please, i just want to share this idea and my love for this fandom with you guys! I hope you enjoy!


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